Thursday, November 6, 2014

The month of yummy nutritious food is going on. Yup, as everyone knows, harvest season is ended so this is the time of year when the delicious nutritious foods are ready. Hence we can say that, November is a gifted month for us. Not only pies, turkey and stuffing can take center stage as the winter months are around the corner, but also a plenty of nutrient-rich seasonal veggies and fruits. It is the reason why Thanksgiving contain cornucopia as one of its symbols. Cornucopia is a symbol for abundance and nourishment which is made up of a large horn-shaped container overflowing with fruits, nuts, veggies, flowers, other edibles, or wealth in some form. Take a look of November superfoods described below that you can gobble up.

Nuts

Nuts are found in great quantity, and a little amount can help you to control your hunger pang before you head out to the holiday party.

Nuts contain healthy, monounsaturated fats & omega-3 fatty acids which help to decrease the risk of heart disease, and they are also cholesterol-free. Nuts also contain chromium to ensure proper insulin function, magnesium to maintain bone structure, manganese to protect against free radicals and zinc for wound healing and growth. All the nuts contain an important antioxidant vitamin E in good amount.

You can add a few nuts into your salad or enjoy a handful of nut as a swift snack every day or every other day.

Dates

Dates are considered as a complete diet like milk and honey. They are a rich source of fiber and 1/4 cup supplies 12% of your daily value. Date is a sweet dry fruit which is loaded greatly with lots of vitamins and minerals. They are good source of minerals such as potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure. Dates also contain twenty different types of amino acids. Dates contain 60%-70% natural sugar which is absorbed by the body in the form of glucose and fructose.

Dates are beneficial for constipation, fatigue and anemia. Body can easily digest them so dates are very helpful to supply energy and repair waste.

You can consume dates alone as one of your daily servings of fruit, or add them to oatmeal, cereals, fruits, milk, salads or baked goods, like breads. Fresh and clean dates boiled with milk, is a very restorative and nourishing drink for kids and adults.

Clementines

Clementines are deep orange color fruits with a glossy, smooth appearance and they are a variety of mandarin orange. Clementines are cholesterol free, sodium free, fat free and saturated fat free fruits.

They are a very rich source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. One clementine supplies vitamin C about 1/2 of the recommended daily value for women and about 1/3 of the recommended daily value for men. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce the severity and duration of a cold. Clementines also contain folic acid and potassium.

Clementines are juicy and sweet so just peel off it and consume, or add some slices of clementine into a salad.

Kale

Kale is a very nutritious green and leafy vegetable. Kale is a form of cabbage and it is a very rich source of vitamins A and C. It is well known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a good source of potassium and calcium. It also contains Vitamin K, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, dietary fiber, manganese, tryptophan, magnesium, flavonoids, omega 3 fatty acids, copper, iron, phosphorus and folate.

If you will cook kale by steaming, it can give some special cholesterol-lowering benefits. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale can help to regulate detoxification at a genetic level. ITCs made from kale's glucosinolates also play a primary role to achieve risk-lowering benefits for cancer.

You can add raw kale in a salad or you can cook it by sautéing, boiling or any other cooking techniques. You can also cook kale "chips" which is typically prepared by baking kale with a touch of olive oil.

Pears

Pears are healthy and nutritious for the body. Pears are loaded greatly with water-soluble dietary fiber. They are good source of copper, potassium, phosphorus and Vitamin C. Pears also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin E, niacin, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, chlorine and sulphur. Pears are available in some varieties which contain iron in high amount.

In spite of being juicy and sweet, pears are low in calories. They are good for the overall health of an individual. They have anti-carcinogen and antioxidant glutathione which helps to prevent stroke and high blood pressure. Pear juice contains an anti-inflammatory property which helps to relieve pain in different inflammatory conditions. It is also effective to prevent osteoporosis and is useful for pregnant women. It can also help to boost up immune system by providing natural energy due to its high contains of glucose and fructose.

Eat them with their skin as the skin contains not only fiber, but also chlorogenic acid. You can poach pears for a nutritious dessert or add them to a rich, autumnal salad.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are tuberous roots available in an array of colors varying from red or purple to white or pale yellow. They have an excellent nutritional value. Sweet potatoes highly contain beta-carotene (vitamin A) and Vitamin C and these both serve as rich sources of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients. Sweet potatoes provide good amount of dietary fiber, when consumed along with its edible skin. They also contain vitamin B and minerals like potassium, manganese, iron and copper.

Vitamin B6 present in sweet potatoes effectively reduces homocysteine levels in the blood and significantly decreases the risk of coronary ailments. Daily consumption of sweet potatoes will also save you from health problems like emphysema and lung inflammation. It can also regulate the sugar level in blood effectively by enhancing the function of insulin.

On this Thanksgiving, use a creamy sweet potato alternative, in place of traditional white mashed potatoes. Use the roasted sweet potatoes which provide their natural sweetness.

Squash

Squash has both winter and summer varieties. Squash is also excellent source of beta carotene, like sweet potatoes. It is very low in sodium and cholesterol, and low in saturated fat. It is a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, riboflavin, dietary fiber, potassium, manganese and magnesium, and a good source of vitamin K, niacin, thiamin, protein, phosphorus and copper.

Squash is not only good for eyes, but it can also help the skin. Vegetable juices of squashes can avert cell mutations and other cancer-like changes. Beta-carotene and vitamin C are potent antioxidants which can prevent oxidation of cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack, atherosclerosis and stroke.

Squash tastes delicious either it is steamed or it is roasted. It is also a yummy alternative in warming, soothing fall soups. If you want to get the maximum nutritional benefits, consume it raw.